


The new neighbor

by Naquar



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AU, Ash Lynx is private detective, Eventual Romance, M/M, Neighbors, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Photographer Okumura Eiji, Tags May Change, eiji has long hair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:11:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26410150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naquar/pseuds/Naquar
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx & Shorter Wong, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji, Lee Yut-Lung/Sing Soo-Ling, Okumura Eiji & Shorter Wong
Comments: 5
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1. A new (lovely) tenant

The three-story, six-apartment red brick building was located at 43 Bond Street, New York; it was wedged between an independent bookshop and a laundromat run by an old lady. It had been built in 2004, but had very few tenants as it offered no appeal and was also quite humid. Several years later, the building had found a young owner who had fallen in love at first sight and had decided to buy it at a low price and then have it renovated.  
Leaning against the balcony railing, Lee Yut-Lung watched with a bored air as passersby walked briskly with bags loaded with purchases.  
A yawn interrupted her train of thought.  
"Ah, you're awake," Yut-Lung said with an amused smile to his boyfriend Sing Soo Ling, who was scratching his head, had hair as straight as a porcupine's quills, was wearing a t-shirt and gray sweatpants. . And he was barefoot.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Nothing special"  
"You look at people from top to bottom, as usual," Sing commented with an amused grin.  
Yut-Lung made a face. "Don't be silly. Speaking of what time is it?"  
"Nine o'clock"  
"Aren't you supposed to be in class?"  
Sing smiled lazily. "Unfortunately, they have suspended the lessons so you will have me almost all day in the boxes"  
Yut-Lung smiled, stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.

"You don't want to shock those present?"  
"Maybe"  
Sing broke free from the embrace. "I'm going to prepare breakfast"  
The other followed him.  
"Oh, by the way ..."  
"What?"  
"Do you remember when I placed an ad to rent the apartment? This morning a new tenant should arrive," Yut-Lung announced with a smile.  
"Really? And who is it?" Sing asked with raised eyebrows.  
"His name is Eiji Okamura he works as a photographer"  
"Strong"  
Yut-Lung rolled his dark eyes to the ceiling with a sigh. "Don't tell me that word again ... please: Shorter has done nothing but repeat it, ever since he found out"  
"Ash?"  
"Our dear Poirot, doesn't know yet"  
Sing's shoulders shook in laughter as he made coffee.  
With that nickname, Yut-Lung referred to the fact that Ash was a private investigator, but the person concerned had never liked that nickname, finding it stupid and saying: "I don't go around with a fly and a mustache!"  
"He has never been a lover of new things"  
"You can say it loudly"  
"Did you do any research on this Okamura?"  
Yut-Lung nodded, with a satisfied air and launched into a brief explanation: "This boy, he's a very interesting guy: he has traveled far and wide, in the company of his dog Buddy; I found out that he has a blog and not he seems very fond of social networks. His Instangram profile is full of landscape photos, but very few selfies "  
"You're such a nosy one," Sing commented with a grin.  
" It 's my job, my love"  
"This I know, well"  
Sing finished making breakfast: blueberry jam toast and coffee.  
The rest of the morning passed quickly.  
It was one o'clock when the moving truck arrived, followed by a dark car.  
The door opened and a Japanese boy got out of the car; he wore a black checkered shirt a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. He had a face with soft and gentle features, black eyes like onyx hidden behind a pair of lenses, she wore his long hair gathered in a ponytail. He looked yes and no twenty-five or twenty-six.  
"We have arrived."  
From the passenger seat, a golden-furred golden retrivier jumped out.  
"Good morning"  
Eiji Okamura turned and found himself staring at a Chinese boy, with very long hair black as an ink ribbon, gathered in a braid.  
"Are you Lee?"  
"Call me Yut-Lung, it's less formal"  
"Ok"  
"Welcome"  
"Thank you" 

°°°

Eiji threw himself on the bed exhausted.  
Between arranging the furniture, carrying up the cartons with your own stuff was simply exhausting and boring. He was the type who liked to travel light and not with heavy luggage.  
"Buddy, do you think we're good here?"  
The dog raised his hazel eyes and blinked, as if in a nod of assent.  
"I believe so too, but now I'm in pieces ..."  
His voice faded and he soon fell asleep.  
He woke up a couple of hours later, with all his clothes crumpled and his hair untidy; so he decided to take a shower.  
The hot water helped him loosen his muscles and take some of the fatigue off him.  
He dried his hair, preferring to let it loose on his shoulders and put on a comfortable overalls; he decided he would order a pizza, he had absolutely no desire to cook.  
And he did.  
Half an hour later, Eiji was sitting on the sofa with Buddy making a string of pepperoni and double cheese pizza.  
"Here"  
Buddy was happy to eat two slices.  
"Now it's you and me, we hope to be happy"  
He heard a message ring.  
Eiji took his cell phone and checked.  
A smile broke from his lips as he read the message from Lidia, her friend and former roommate who had sent him a selfie from Paris, where she had gone on vacation.  
For a moment he thought about calling her, but he didn't because of the time difference ... who knows what time over there!  
A sudden thud, followed by a flood of expletives made him jump.  
Before Buddy managed to run to the door, Eiji locked him in the kitchen and went to see.  
Then she pulled the chain and opened the door.  
The first thing he saw was a purple mohaw as straight as a flag followed by a pair of sunglasses resting on one nose.  
"Ah, sorry, I think I ran over your umbrella stand," the guy commented.  
Eiji smiled.  
"You must be the new neighbor"  
"Yup"  
"Shorter Wong and I apologize for your umbrella stand"  
"Eiji Okamura, very pleased"  
The two shook hands.  
"Yut-Lung told me you are a photographer," Shorter said, blinking.  
"Yes," Eiji replied.  
Wow, the news flew fast.  
"But I am the owner of Chang Dai, if you like to take a trip" continued the other, without stopping to smile.  
"I hope you will be happy here"  
"Thank you"  
"Just one thing ..."  
"What is it?"  
"Don't be angry, if you meet your neighbor on the landing ... and he doesn't say hello. His name is Aslan, but his name is Ash and he is a private detective and has a bit of a bad temper, he's not bad but he's high in his own way, "Shorter explained.  
"O-Ok, thanks for the tip," Eiji said.  
Shorter nodded satisfied, then greeted him and ran up the stairs.  
Wow, what kind of building had he just moved to? Eiji thought, blinking.


	2. Chapter 2. A grumpy lynx

It had just stopped raining.  
The streets were as shiny as black ribbons, smelling of rain and damp at the same time; it was not very cold, but people were few on the streets.  
Eiji closed the umbrella, I checked Chang Dai's mobile phone address once again.  
He went in.  
The chequered floor tiles were black and white, the dark wooden tables were covered with a red tablecloth and one underneath was white, and a beige two-seater sofa dominated in one corner,  
a long polished wooden counter, behind a long row of bottles of wine and various spirits, arranged on glass shelves. Some customers, sitting at the stools, watched a football match on television without much interest, while others sat at the tables talking to each other between a jingle of forks and more.  
"Hello".  
"Hello there, neighbour!" exclaimed Shorter in a cheerful tone with a wave of his hand.  
"Hello, not bad your place," commented Eiji, occupying one of the stools.  
"Thanks, what can I get you?"  
"Have you got...uhm...any cocacola?"  
"Sure...  
"So what's up?"  
"Good, I'd say. How are you?"  
"Nah, the bartender's life ain't so great," Shorter jokingly complained, pouring cocacola into the glass.  
"Mine's fucked up to death," Eiji chuckled.  
"How much did you shoot?"  
"Quite a lot. Um...I've done Japan, South America, Africa, and some cities," Eiji shrugged.  
"You're an interesting guy.  
Eiji opened his mouth in response, but was interrupted by a young man who occupied the stool next to his and said: "Hey, Shorter, the usual".  
"Right away"  
"So do you find anything spicy?"  
"A lot," replied Eiji's stool neighbour, with a large grin.  
"How so?"  
"Her, him and the other."  
"Oh, the usual triangle," replied Shorter, pouring the beer into the mug before passing it on to his friend.  
"Yeah. The lover was a pretty girl too."  
Wow.  
From beneath his eyelids, Eiji began to observe the young man: he really did look unusual, but  
enchanting. The hair, smooth up to the neck, resembled the colour of ripe wheat and sharp eyes as green as jade, which surrounded a face with sharp, but well chiselled features: the camera would have loved him very much.  
"Do you need anything?" asked the handsome blond man, planting his eyes in his face.  
Embarrassed, Eiji blushed and shook his head and replied in a low voice: "No, sorry... I was overthinking".  
"Ah ok, why were you staring at me?"  
"No, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."  
"Eiji, meet Ash. Ash meet Eiji", Shorter intervened with a nod of his hand.  
"I would be the new neighbour" stammered the poor photographer with a smile and an outstretched hand.  
Ash blinked looking at him with perplexed air. "OK, nice to meet you," he said.  
They shook hands briefly.  
"What kind of photographer are you?" Ash investigated.  
"What kind of question is that?" Eiji blinked back.  
"Like models or something," Shorter shrugged his shoulders again.  
"Mmm, sorry but I don't do that. I usually take pictures of landscapes, people or cities; both in colour and black and white.  
"Strong  
"Thank you"  
"And tell me how's the work going?"  
"Everything... everything's fine. You know they're having an exhibition at the ExDeus art gallery soon?"  
"Don't tell me it's the one called Effects?" exclaimed Shorter with eyes glowing with excitement. "There are some crazy pictures of landscapes that look like they've come out of an alien world..."  
Ash raised an eyebrow, as if to say, "What the hell are you talking about?"  
Eiji's cheeks turned pink. "That's mine."  
"When should there be?"  
"Wednesday at ten o'clock next week there will be the inauguration," Eiji replied with a smile. "And I hope you like it."  
"Thank you"  
Ash pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket and checked his phone: there were two missed calls. He swallowed his beer the two seconds and left a note on the counter.  
"Shorter, keep the change. I've got to run."  
"Already?"  
"Alex called," replied the young man with an anxious tone.  
Shorter nodded in agreement.  
"See you near again," Ash said, lightly shrugging Eiji's shoulder. Then he got up and left in a hurry.  
"Sure.  
"Very characteristic, eh?" laughed Shorter.  
"I can see it"  
Eiji drank a sip of cocacola and asked: "Is it always like this?"  
"Sure, man."  
"It's gonna be hard to keep up with him."  
Shorter made a sigh. "Ever since I've known him he's always like this."  
"I don't want to be indiscreet, but what did he mean, before Alex's...?" Eiji asked.  
"Well, it's about ash's brother griffin."  
"What happened to him?"  
"He disappeared into thin air three years ago in strange circumstances, Ash has been looking for him ever since," explained Shorter, with a sad smile.  
"I'm sorry"  
"Don't worry"  
Eiji's mobile phone rang to end the conversation. 

***

"You look thoughtful"  
Eiji looked up from the photographs: he had turned them over and over again in his hands, without actually looking at them.  
"Really, Ibe-san?"  
Shunici Ibe, Ibe-san for friends and family, nodded.  
"I'm sorry, I'm just still a little messed up with the move and...sorry," Eiji replied with a smile.  
"This is all new to you."  
"Yeah"  
"What are your neighbours like?"  
"Kind," replied Eiji with a shrug of the shoulders.  
"There are some pretty girls, I guess," said Ibe-san.  
Eiji shook his head. "No, not at all.  
"A pity! I liked that girl you used to go out with a few times, did you never see her again?"  
"Who? Lidia or Shari?"  
"Shari Rogers"  
Eiji shrugged his shoulders. "She was just a friend"  
Ibe-san did not answer, he remembered very well that Shari was lost in love with Eiji, however his feelings were not reciprocated.  
"Well, have you had any interesting encounters?"  
Eiji bit her lip and thought back to her brief encounter with Ash. "Yes, I'd say definitely yes."


	3. Chapter 3

"So how are you doing, Okamura?"   
"Call me by name," Eiji replied with a smile.   
"Ok, Eiji"  
"I'm doing fine"   
Yut-lung raised the cup of tea to his lips and took a sip.   
"Ah, here's my love submitting the next-door neighbor, the third degree," Sing chuckled as he entered the dining room.   
"Thank you, honey," Yut-Lung hissed.   
"He wasn't subjecting me to any interrogation," Eiji said with a smile. In fact, Yut-Lung had asked him a lot of questions about his work as a photographer and thank God, not about his love life, which honestly sucked: his last story was two years ago, with a girl named Anna. . Followed by some fugitive event and nothing more.  
Unfortunately, if someone asked if he was with someone, Eiji replied that with his job as a globetrotter, he didn't allow him many stable bonds: generally, how dancing always worked.   
"Make a nice couple," Eiji observed with a smile. "How long have you been together?" "Five years in September," Sing replied with a smile, then reached out and fondly ruffled his boyfriend's hair. "Well, at least you two are lucky."  
"Stay with my old slipper? Sure," Sing said with an amused smile.  
Yut-Lung muttered something between his teeth, glaring at his boyfriend who replied with an amused smile.   
"Instead of our unfortunate, Ei-chan we need to find someone," Yut-Lung decreed, waving a finger.   
Eiji shook his head.   
"I'm immersed up to my neck"  
"Don't tell me you're one of those who only think about work?"   
"No ..." "Honey, it'll be your business," Sing interjected, raising an eyebrow.   
The hands pointed to nine.   
"See you later"   
"Are you going to class again?"   
"Yes"   
"What are you studying Yut-Lung?"   
"Ancient and Modern Letters, English and Chinese," Yut-Lung replied, fiddling with a lock of hair.   
"Well, it sounds interesting," Eiji observed.   
Yut-Lung shrugged, looked at the time, and snorted. "Now the old slipper, as you call it, has to go," he said to his boyfriend. "Haven't you seen my bag with the books?"  
Sing rolled his eyes at the ceiling, got up, and fished out the bag from the lounge chair.   
"You have a really bad memory"  
"I left it there ... thanks!"  
"You're welcome"  
"Hey Yut," Sing said in a serious tone. "Ignore those idiots, just do me this favor"  
Yut-Lung nodded.   
"Sure"  
They exchanged a kiss.   
Then Sing went back into the kitchen and sat down in the chair.   
"My boyfriend always forgets something"   
Eiji smiled. "My tenant was the same: she never remembered where she put the stuff, and I always had to remember where she was"  
“Was your friend pretty?”  
“Yes, but she's happily single, as she says,” Eiji replied with a shrug. He finished drinking the tea.  
They talked for another quarter of an hour.   
It was a quarter past ten when Eiji left the apartment.   
When he returned, Buddy came wagging his tail towards him, seeking attention.   
"Sorry friend," Eiji said, affectionately scratching his ears.   
The door to the other apartment opened.   
"Good morning"  
"'day" Ash muttered, scratching his blond head with the sleepiest air in the world; he wore only a pair of black shorts and a tank top.  
Eiji's gaze could not help but study the slender figure of the young man and try to imprint it as much as possible in his mind. A little annoying thought crossed his mind: his neighbor was really cute ... little dressed like that.  
"Wouldn't you have some coffee to lend me? I didn't have time to buy it" Ash asked, stifling a yawn, luckily without noticing the young photographer's insistent gaze. Neither of them had time to reply that Buddy slipped out of the door. apartment and began sniffing his legs, intrigued.   
"Sorry!" Eiji exclaimed.  
"Quiet"  
Ash crouched down and ran his fingers through Buddy's thick fur, very happy to get all that attention.   
"I think he likes you. Generally he is very wary of other people," Eiji explained as he approached. "But he obviously likes you"  
"Very well"  
"Ah, I was saying that I finished my coffee too, but I'd go to the market below to get it," Eiji said.   
"I'll put something on and then let's go together?"  
"Yup"  
Ash made the thumbs up sign.   
Five minutes later, Ash and Eiji were in the street, with Buddy sticking his nose to the ground.   
"How have you been in the last two weeks?" "Good"  
Ash grinned. "Well, Shorter got me a head like that for the Effects show."  
"He was very enthusiastic"   
They entered the market; where they made several purchases and Eiji found himself with a lot more stuff than he needed.  
"That place is not bad"   
"Ms. Cheng always succumbs to my charm," Ash replied, winking.   
"Oh yeah? Do you drop them all at your feet?" Eiji joked.  
"Sure!"   
"Oh, this is beautiful ..."  
"Are you envious?" Ash asked raising an eyebrow.  
"No, even if I'm not glamorous, I'm good at finding beautiful things," Eiji replied with a quiet smile.   
The answer left the private detective speechless.   
They walked one to another, for a whole block; Eiji looked around with an absorbed air as if he wanted to impress all the details.  
"Shit, apparently they're determined not to leave me alone," Ash said at one point.   
“What's going on?”  
“Shit people,” Ash replied with a grin, slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and held the gun tightly in his fist.  
The pace of both became fast, but without trying to give the impression of not giving too much attention.   
Shit.   
"Eiji ... come with me," Ash said  
The photographer didn't have time to protest, and he was dragged off into the alley that smelled of rotten vegetables.   
Buddy began to growl.   
"Sst! Good!" Eiji said in a worried tone.  
Ash pulled out his gun.   
"Eiji?"   
"What is it?"  
"An idea came to mind: put your hands around my shoulders ..." Eiji raised his eyebrows.   
"Hurry on!" Ash hissed. "It will be quick, I don't really kiss you!"  
"What an idiot!" Eiji murmured, wrapping his arms around the investigator's shoulders.  
Within seconds, he felt Ash's breath against his lips, blonde hair tickling his cheek. His back pressed against the damp bricks of the building.  
"Now be quiet, ok?" Ash murmured.  
Eiji nodded.   
There was an angry shouting.   
One of the men came dangerously close to them and studied them for a few seconds.   
He snorted.   
"It's just two of them kissing!" exclaimed one of the two men "If he finds that bastard I'll tear his skin off"  
"Come on Tom, forget it ..."  
Finally, the two left.   
Ash stepped back a few inches and was smiling.   
Eiji's face was all red.   
"You were good. And look since I have to repay you, damn it: would you like to come to lunch?"  
"W-When?"   
"Now, in my apartment. Do you want?"

°°° 

There was little furniture in Ash's apartment, as if it were frequented, but everything was in perfect order.   
The most interesting part was the dining room where it had been transformed into a kind of study: there were sheets scattered everywhere, along with books placed that occupied every corner. On one of the walls hung a cork board where photographs and notes of all kinds had been posted.  
Eiji stopped to study with open curiosity.   
A photo struck him, with a certain curiosity: it was a group of soldiers who had posed, someone was smiling.   
Eiji noticed a maliconic-looking boy, standing on the right and with his eyes shyly studying the target: he must be Ash's brother.   
Shorter had told him briefly, Eiji remembered running a hand through his hair.   
A curse from the kitchen interrupted her train of thought.   
"Don't ... don't enter!" Ash exclaimed with a snort.  
"What the hell have you done?" Eiji asked putting his hands on his hips and noticing the spaghetti dangling mercifully from the sink.  
"Nothing..."  
"My pot slipped, okay? And I think it's all to be thrown away ..." I think this here is a real disaster in the kitchen, thought Eiji amused.   
"Well, I can prepare something quick ..."   
"Ok, I'm sorry"  
A quarter of an hour later, Eiji had prepared something quick: avocado and shrimp salad, some slices of chicken with black pepper, for dessert there was chocolate pudding.   
"Fuck, this is really good!" Ash exclaimed, eating the salad with gusto. “Where did you learn to do it?” “A friend of mine,” Eiji replied with a shrug.  
"She must be a great cook."   
The photographer nodded. He paused for a moment to stare at the young detective gorging himself on the salad.  
"Eiji?"   
"Tell me"  
"I'm sorry about earlier, with those two guys"  
"But ... but who were they?"   
"Two fucking idiots, they wanted to make me pay because I threatened their boss" Ash replied with a grin.   
"Investigating must be tough"   
"Nah, it's funny! And why did you become a photographer?"   
"It's a long story, one day I'll tell you," Eiji replied with a shrug.   
"If someday he'll listen to it" Ash put a hand under his chin and smiled. "I can't wait to hear it"


End file.
